Horn taking season off; DiPisa says he's finished with racing

For close to 50 years Bob Horn of East Norwalk has either driven race cars or been a car owner.

Doug DiPisa of Norwalk has been a part of the racing scene as an owner for 20 years.

Both will not be racing in 2009. While neither blamed the economy for their decision, both said it figured in.

"As of right now I'm not putting a car on the track," Horn said Wednesday. "That (the economy) is a lot of it, but not the main reason," Horn stated. The deciding factor on parking his SK Modified was, "lack of a steady driver."

DiPisa has had his fill of being a car owner.

"I don't want to race anymore," DiPisa said Friday.

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Horn owned and drove his cars in the 60s at the Waterford Speedbowl before moving his No. 85 modified to the Danbury Racearena. When the Racearena closed in 1981 he returned to the Speedbowl and was driving at the Bowl in 1984 when SK Modifieds debuted.

John Anzalone of Norwalk drove for Horn early on. Stamford native Eddy Spiers wheeled Horn modifieds for 10 years and Horn had success with driver Keith Rocco after they purchased a former Ted Christopher modified.

However, his best outings were with Ron Silk of Norwalk, The duo won a 100-lap SK Modified event at Waterford and a couple of poles in long distance events.

The team came close to winning the prestigious North-South Shootout SK race in North Carolina three times. Silk was fastest qualifier for the 2008 event and led early before problems arose.

The previous year, Silk ran fifth, was collected in a crash and came from the back to finish fifth.

In 2006, Silk was second with three laps to go but finished 21st when Horn's car was hit from behind and sent spinning.

"We always had something happen in the North-South race that was not of our doing," Horn understated.

Silk joined Hillbilly Racing out of North Carolina last season and competes weekly at tracks in the Carolinas as well as a full schedule on the Whelen Modified Tour.

While he has parked his No. 85 for the year, Horn remains in racing. He works for Eric Berndt of Meriden. Berndt competes in the SK Modified class at Stafford as well as the Whelen Modified Tour.

"I'll always be involved in racing, just not as an owner, at least for this year," Horn concluded.

DiPisa goes back to Riverside Park Speedway in Agawam, Ma., where he helped sponsor a Late Model driven by his brother Paul. Another brother, Chris DiPisa, was also part of the team.

When a truck series was introduced at Riverside, the DiPisa family had an entry and won a few features. The closing of Riverside sent Doug DiPisa looking elsewhere.

"I went to Stafford in 2001 but never ran weekly until 2004," recalled DiPisa. He went fulltime in the SK Modified Division at the half-mile oval.

Despite a couple of top five point finishes, DiPisa never graced Victory Lane. Chuck Doherty, now retired, Ted Christopher and others drove for DiPisa. The past two seasons, Steven Reed, a talented youngster from Freehold, N.J., was in the No. 81.

DiPisa, who has sold his trailer and some parts, spent many years in racing and pumped a lot of money into the sport. Leaving was not easy. But in the end, the time spent working on the car and cost of competing were too much for a working man with a wife and two daughters. "It just got to be too much to handle," DiPisa stated.

"I'm done altogether. I don't want to race anymore," added the Norwalk resident. He has found another sport that isn't as costly.

Instead of driving to Stafford on Fridays, DiPisa is on a golf course. "I'm playing golf every Friday and not interested in racing."

Kelly Silk was recently chosen the recipient of the $500 Sonny Richards Memorial Scholarship. Kelly, wife of Ron Silk, attends Southern Connecticut State University in New Haven and is majoring in education.

She and Silk married in Mexico in January. Kelly is no stranger to racing. In addition to her husband, her brother, Doug Coby, races weekly in an SK Modified and also competes in the Whelen Modified Tour.

Coby, driving for George Bierce of Waterbury, finished eighth in the season opener at Thompson. Silk drove for Bierce in 2007.

Richards, known to all as "Sonny," was a part of the auto racing media scene for many years when he worked for Speedway Scene. There is also an annual Richards Memorial Award presented to people involved in racing.

Car owners Ralph Solhem and Art Barry have been honored as well as drivers Jerry Marquis, Tony Ferrante Sr. and the late Tom Baldwin Sr.

Ken Schrader, who has done so much to promote racing as well as fielding cars for young drivers hoping to make their mark, recently had a grandstand named in his honor at the Rockingham (NC) oval. Rockingham, now owned by former New Jersey resident Andy Hillenburg, is doing well. A United Auto Racing Association event is up coming and additional races are planned.

Greg Biffle's victory in the Nationwide Series event Friday at Phoenix was the 100th in the series for car owner Jack Roush, whose birthday is today. Roush has been competing in the series for 17 years. Mark Martin accounted for 40 of the victories including Roush's first which came at Rockingham in 1993.

After six days of deliberation a jury in Miami on Friday acquitted Helio Castroneves on six counts of tax evasion, clearing the way for his return to racing. Castroneves, who was charged with failing to pay taxes on 2.3 million dollars will be in the No. 3 Penske car for the Indy 500. Penske will also field cars for team drivers Will Power (love that name) and Ryan Briscoe.

Dale Earnhardt Jr. fans can now listen to their favorite man during car rides. Earnhardt and Transplant GPS introduced the Spotter GPS Navigator Friday. Junior's voice provides the directions. NASCAR.com and Best Buy stores are among the outlets.